Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics of Gilli-Gilli Forest Reserve, Edo State, Nigeria from 1986 to 2023

The rapid rate of land use and land cover (LULC) change has become a major concern, especially in tropical forests, where anthropogenic activities continue to strain natural resources. Forest degradation affects biodiversity, climate regulation, soil stability, and ecosystem balance. This study examined the spatial and temporal changes in land use and land cover within the Gilli-Gilli Forest Reserve, Edo State, Nigeria, over 37 years from 1986 to 2023. To assess these changes, Landsat satellite images from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) database for 1986, 2002, and 2023 were analyzed using Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing techniques. Supervised classification using the Maximum Likelihood algorithm was applied to group the reserve into four major land-cover classes: dense forest, sparse vegetation, built-up areas, and water bodies. Post-classification change-detection analysis was conducted to determine the extent and rate of deforestation over the period. The analysis showed a decrease in dense forest cover over the study period. Dense forest cover decreased from 235.30 km² (72.73%) in 1986 to 156.12 km² (48.26%) in 2023, a net loss of approximately 79.18 km². Built-up areas increased significantly from 12.24 km² to 78.06 km², indicating rapid urban growth and increased demand for available forest resources. Sparse vegetation is also expected to increase by 2023 due to increased agricultural activities, logging, and forest clearing. NDVI analysis showed vegetation greenness and canopy density throughout the forest reserve over the study period. Results indicate that human activities, such as logging, farming, and urbanization, are the major causes of deforestation and degradation within the forest reserve. To address these challenges, the study recommends improved forest protection policies, continuous GIS-based monitoring systems, and applying forest management policies with the aim of stopping further forest degradation and encouraging the ecosystem reclamation.